Take a Walk on the Wild Side with authors Heather McCollum and Misty Evans - Win a $25 Amazon Gift Card!

ABOUT UNTAMED HEARTS

Will Wyatt has always played the part of pirate, but now he’s a fish out of water in the Highlands of Scotland. With a bounty on his head, he’s laying low by helping his sister and a troop of abandoned children journey to a new home. He didn’t count on a spunky Highland lass stealing his breath after he steals a kiss.
Jonet Montgomery has longed for a chivalrous knight her whole young life. Instead she found herself wed to a cheating scoundrel and left a widow. Giving up on love, Jonet turned to helping the orphaned children of her clan, but when a lusty, silver-tongued rogue opens a crack in Jonet’s routine life, she’s tempted by his offer to taste adventure of the most pleasurable kind.
Will’s heart of gold shines through despite his infamous past, making Jonet risk her reputation once again. But can she possibly be enough woman to keep this sexy pirate from straying? With her past embarrassment haunting her, she risks more than just her reputation this time. She risks her heart.

ABOUT HEATHER MCCOLLUM

Heather McCollum is an award winning, historical paranormal and YA romance writer. She earned her B.A. in Biology, much to her English professor’s dismay. She is a member of Romance Writers of America and the Ruby Slippered Sisterhood of 2009 Golden Heart finalists.
The ancient magic and lush beauty of Great Britain entrances Ms. McCollum’s heart and imagination every time she visits. The country’s history and landscape have been a backdrop for her writing ever since her first journey across the pond.
When she is not creating vibrant characters & magical adventures on the page, she is roaring her own battle cry in the war against ovarian cancer. Ms. McCollum recently slayed the cancer beast and resides with her very own Highland hero, rescued golden retriever & 3 kids in the wilds of suburbia on the mid-Atlantic coast. For more information about Ms. McCollum, please visit www.HeatherMcCollum.com.

Hello everyone! I’m Heather McCollum, and I’m so
excited to have partnered up with Misty Evans for this joint blog tour to
celebrate our two April releases! My novella, UNTAMED HEARTS, is a 16th
century romance that follows a pirate into the Scottish Highlands. Misty’s
novella, THE PERFECT HOSTAGE, is a romantic suspense story featuring a Spec Ops
hero from her Super Agent Series.

One story is obviously historical while the other is
contemporary. Most readers have a preference of subgenres, and some will not
dare to dangle even a toe into the other genre pond. I, myself, usually pick up
a British historical romance before a contemporary military or western romance.
I know what to expect in the English and Scottish settings and language,
especially when reading my favorite authors. The stories are comfortable and
the “ride” I take to reach the end of the journey is as familiar, fun and
wonderful as usual.

As Misty and I discussed our two very different
novellas, we realized that both involve characters taking a large risk. Our
heroines both take a “walk on the wild side” and try something new. And in both
cases, the payoff is hugely gratifying. That got us thinking about the benefits
of taking risks, stepping out of the box and diving into something completely
different.

The following quotes are from The Franklin Institute
of Science and discuss our brain health.

The article gives various ways to improve cognitive
strength throughout our lives. It
recommends physical activity, learning a new language, as well as using your
non-dominant hand for tasks like brushing teeth or moving a computer mouse.
Basically doing something new or trying to do something familiar in a different
way.

So Misty and I propose – “take a walk on the wild
side” and try a new subgenre of romance. All reading stimulates the brain and
reading something outside your area of familiarity could add even more
stimulus. To prove this we are asking for volunteers. All we ask is for you to
let us put electrodes all over your head (we’ll only shave about 6 dime-sized
sections) so we can record your brain activity while reading your usual
subgenre and then reading something completely different. Anybody? Hello?

<Giggle. Snort.> Okay, even if you did
volunteer (curiosity can lead us to do crazy things), Misty and I have decided
to just leave our hypothesis out there for a team of scientists to grab and run
with while we continue to write amazing stories for you all to read.

But, we are still asking you to take a risk, try
something new, and take a walk on the wild side. If you usually read historical
romances, try out Misty’s THE PERFECT HOSTAGE. If you normally enjoy
contemporary romantic suspense novels, try out UNTAMED HEARTS for a change.
Both books are novellas so the time investment and money investment are
minimal. And who knows, maybe after wading in the other pond you might decide
to plunge into the other subgenre altogether (clothes optional)! Who knows what
will happen! But no matter what, your brain will thank you for reading and so
will we.

ABOUT THE PERFECT HOSTAGE

Lucie Morgan has finally found a man who doesn’t care she’s the daughter of a famous billionaire. All she needs is one weekend to convince him the crush she’s had since he rescued her from a terrorist has grown into much more.
Sergeant John Quick has seen the worst in life, both personally and professionally. He long ago decided loving someone comes at too high a price. But when the woman of his dreams “kidnaps” him for a weekend affair with no strings attached, he can’t resist.
The smoking-hot weekend turns deadly when John and Lucie are trapped during a blizzard and discover they’re not alone. Someone from their past has come hunting for revenge. Now John must become the perfect hostage in order to save Lucie’s life.

ABOUT MISTY EVANS

USA TODAY Bestselling Author Misty Evans has published over twenty novels and writes romantic suspense, urban fantasy, and paranormal romance. As a writing coach, she helps other authors bring their books – and their dreams of being published – to life.
Misty likes her coffee black, her conspiracy stories juicy, and her wicked characters dressed in couture. When not reading or writing, she enjoys music, movies, and hanging out with her husband, twin sons, and two spoiled puppies. Learn more and sign up for her newsletter at www.readmistyevans.com.